Nine members of the National Police registered as candidates in the upcoming regional elections have resigned from their positions within the force to guarantee the institution's neutrality during the elections, the police have confirmed.

“They quit to register for the elections,” the police’s human resources department assistant, Insp. Gen. Sutrisno Yudi Hermawan, said on Tuesday as quoted by tempo.co.

Police personnel who want to run as regional head candidates should submit a resignation letter to the National Police chief prior to registering at the General Elections Commission (KPU), Sutrisno said.

“Without a resignation notice issued by the National Police chief, one cannot sign up as a candidate in the regional elections," he added.

The KPU has named nine former police personnel candidates in the 2020 regional elections in several regions, including West Sumatra, Central Java, South Sulawesi and North Maluku.

This year's regional elections are scheduled to take place simultaneously on Dec. 9 in 270 regions, including nine provinces, 224 regencies and 37 cities.

Members of the public have repeatedly called on policymakers to push back the elections to 2021 amid fears that the races could become super spreader events for the coronavirus. The government has, however, insisted on holding the elections in December, with Home Minister Tito Karnavian saying that democracy should go on despite the pandemic. (trn)